Tag Archives: Georgia Theatres & Auditoriums

Glenwood High School, 1920, 1933 & 1950, Wheeler County

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The original building is a one-story Spanish Mission Revival structure [not pictured due to inability to access] built in 1920; the two-story annex (above) was added, in sections between 1930-1933 and 1948-1950. Gary McDaniel writes: The front 1/3 of the two story annex was added sometimes after WW II, about 1948-50. My Dad, Willard McDaniel, was a carpenter on the add-on. In recent years, it has served as the campus for the Transitional Alternative Prep School.

In addition to an annex behind the original schoolhouse, the campus of the old Glenwood High School has a slightly more modern auditorium built in 1951.

National Register of Historic Places

Maddox Building, 1902, Winder

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This multi-use commercial building may be Winder’s most recognizable and has recently been restored. It may be best remembered as the home of the Peoples Bank but has also been home to a theatre and other businesses over the years.

Broad Street Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Habersham Theatre, 1937, Clarkesville

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This Art Deco movie house was built in 1937; the building may date to 1920 with an earlier use and appearance. It has recently been restored and is now known as the Habersham Community Theater.

Mount Airy School, 1921

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The wonderful old Mount Airy School has been restored and now houses the offices of the Mount Airy Police Department and the Georgia Crime Information Center. An auditorium on the upper level served as the entertainment center for the area and hosted traveling shows, including many early stars of the Grand Ole Opry. The school closed in 1955.

Ritz Theatre, 1899, Brunswick

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Originally home to the offices of the Brunswick & Birmingham Railroad and the Grand Opera House, the historic Ritz Theatre is a preservation success story. Thanks to the efforts of Heather Heath and the Golden Isles Arts & Humanities Association and the Fox Theatre Institute, the Ritz has returned to its rightful place as a cultural anchor for downtown Brunswick.

Brunswick Old Town Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Abandoned Amphitheater, 1973, Jekyll Island

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The view from the stage gives an appreciation of the size of the now-abandoned Jekyll Island Amphitheater, most recently used in collaboration between the Jekyll Island Authority and Valdosta State University, which lasted from 1989 until 2004.

Each summer, three performances were staged here as a part of the Jekyll Island Musical Theatre Festival.

Budget constraints eventually ended the festival and the the amphitheater has been abandoned ever since.

There has been an effort to resurrect the amphitheater for several years and its preservation is on the long-term agenda of the Jekyll Island Authority.

The ‘ruins’ are surrounded by natural forests and adjacent to a pond known largely to birdwatchers. A short walk is required to access the site, near the Jekyll Island Fire Station. In summer, bug spray is a must.

Olive Theatre, 1928, Donalsonville

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The Dunn family originally owned a silent movie house, on Second Street; the Olive Theatre’s namesake, Olive Dunn, played the piano that accompanied the silent films. The Olive was restored by the Arts Council and is now used for live performances. The theatre closed in 1949 when the Dunn Theatre, a more modern facility, was opened nearby. Over the years it housed numerous businesses. Broome Furniture Company was the last and upon closing the owner donated the building to the Arts Council.

Donalsonville Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Edison Theater, 1951

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Lamar Sanders writes: I went to its opening in the 1950s. It was an Esther Williams swimming movie, and it was packed and had chairs in the aisles. The theater across the street charged 11 cents, and this one, built by Bill Israel, went up to 15 cents. Then you needed a nickel for a piece of candy and another nickel for a coke.

Edison Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Theater, Hartsfield

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This short dirt road is known as Library Road, so I wondered if this was the library, but Holly Perryman writes: This was not a library. It was a movie theater to start with. When Herschel Mims ran a store that is between the post office and the voting precinct building, he used the old theater to store fertilizer in. The white block building on the corner of Bryan Road used to be the library but is now the voting precinct.

Columbia Theatre, 1949, Harlem

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The Columbia was open for just 14 years, closing in 1963. Since 2005, efforts to restore the theatre have had slow starts. The marquee was restored nearly ten years ago and apparently, the interior is in poor condition. Advocates for restoration have been frustrated by the general lack of interest in the process, but I’m hopeful this will be completed in the near future.